ISLAMABAD: International Women’s Day is celebrated across the world on March 8. In the build-up to the day, Islamabad witnessed events across the city which celebrated the women of Pakistan.

The Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) celebrated International Women’s Day by conferring the Amtul Raqeeb Award to six recipients at a local hotel.

Samia Liaquat Ali Khan, Group Head Compliance and Quality Assurance at PPAF, spoke about the gender mainstreaming efforts at PPAF.

She said: “The Amtul Raqeeb Award is annually conferred by PPAF on the occasion of International Women’s Day to honour and acknowledge outstanding individuals, especially women, for exhibiting courage in the face of adversity and becoming role models for their families and communities.”

PPAF instituted the award in recognition of bravery and courage of Amtul Raqeeb, a programme officer at Balochistan Rural Support Programme (BRSP), Quetta. Amtul was killed on way back to Quetta from Mastung on January 24, 2011. Her contribution for capacity building of local traditional birth attendants resulted in a significant reduction of the mother-child mortality rate in inaccessible regions of Balochistan.

This year the award was given to Hakim Zadi, Zuhra, Maryam, Laljan, Nasreen Bibi and Zulekha Samejo. The six women were selected from local community organisations for playing pivotal roles in motivating and organising women in their areas. They have worked for women empowerment in remote parts of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Shoaib Sultan, the pioneer of rural development programmes in Pakistan, said: “I am delighted to see these wonderful women from across Pakistan, who have made such a difference for their communities. I first experienced the marginalisation of women in 1982 when I started working with the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme in Gilgit and every time I went to villages and communities for meetings only men would come to meet me. It was not until women of a community wrote to him saying that we have already incorporated the principles you have spoken to the men about and it gave me an access point to start working with the women. Since then I have seen what all women can achieve!”

Award-recipient Laljan spoke in Balochi and working with a translator from PPAF expressed her happiness at having her work in Kech acknowledged.

She said: “I formed women-only community organisations in the area and worked for family planning, which can be a dangerous vocation. I arranged for women of the area to receive contraceptives free of cost and work to decrease the mortality rate among women and children.”

Another award recipient from District Layyah, Nasreen Bibi said: “I am illiterate but have mobilised women in my area, formed community organisations and contested in local bodies elections. I have also fought my own right to inheritance and now I live by one slogan ‘put my rights right here!’”

PPAF also showcased some artwork from a competition among schoolchildren, between the ages of seven and 12 years in PPAF-supported schools to explore creative skills and abilities of kids.

Approximately 150 children expressed their creativity through drawings from six schools in Qilla Saifullah, Narowal, Swabi, Islamabad and Karachi. While most of the children drew caricatures of popular cartoons characters, some of the entries were very original.

The 12 best submissions were selected for the PPAF Calendar 2015 on the basis of relevance to the theme ‘What Makes Me Happy’, selection of colours and the drawing.

Samia said: “In community schools we can truly see the dedication and passion for education and learning. One of the best examples is Master Ayub’s school which is just across the road from the PPAF office and I see children there every evening even when it is raining.”

Junaid and Shoaib from Swabi and Arbaz from Master Ayub’s school in Islamabad received gifts from Qazi Azmat Isa and Dr Haroona Jatoi.

Dr Haroona Jatoi said: “The recipients of the Amtul Award serve as a guiding light for all of us. Today is a day to celebrate the achievements of Pakistani women who have excelled in every field and sector in Pakistan, often in the face of what seems to be insurmountable challenges.”

Dr Jatoi has a Doctorate of Education from Harvard University and four decades of professional experience in management, administration, teaching and research with the Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan, international development partners and universities.

Qazi Azmat Isa, CEO of PPAF, said: “We need to recognise that no country in the world has developed without the participation of women in the development process. It brought tears to my eyes to read that Pakistan is the second last country on the Global Gender Gap index.”

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play